Newspapers seeking to compete with the Internet are likely to become free and place greater emphasis on comment and opinion in the future, a survey of the world's editors showed.

The report, conducted by Zogby International for the World Editors Forum and Reuters, revealed  that newspaper editors were still optimistic about the future of their publications but believed they would have to adapt further for the digital age.

Some 86 per cent of respondents believed newsrooms should become more integrated with digital services as two in three believe the most common form of news consumption will be via electronic media such as online or mobiles within a decade.

'For these editors the future is self-evident and our survey shows that they see the writing on the newsroom wall,' said pollster John Zogby.

Integrate. Or perish.' According to the survey, 56 per cent of respondents believed that the majority of news, be it via print or online, would be free in the future.